Analysis of Wednesday’s injury report for the Lions and Rams

Let’s break down the Lions and Rams injury reports from Wednesday. The Lions’ report is an estimate, as they didn’t practice. Overall, the Lions’ minuscule report is an excellent start to the season.

DETROIT LIONS

COMPLETE PRACTICE

There are no players listed

LIMITED PRACTICE

The last time we saw him in action was in the first half of the second preseason game against the Chiefs. I reviewed the tape and nothing stood out to me. The most suspicious play was in the first quarter, at the 3:13 mark of kickoff coverage, where he limped slightly, apparently with a left leg injury. He didn’t miss any plays and finished the entire half without any obvious limitations, so I can’t say for sure if that was the injury.

The limited designation is reassuring because the ankle problem is neither serious nor long-term.

Reader, who was recovering from a torn right quadriceps tendon on Dec. 16, 2023, and a knee arthroscopy in June, was released from the ineligible list on Aug. 25. That means he’s only had a little over a week of practice, much of which may have been just individual drills.

Last week, Dan Campbell hinted that Week 1 was unlikely, but today he offered hope that Reader could play.

With so little practice time coming off a significant injury, it seems unlikely that the Lions would risk playing him. Personally, I would like to see the Lions rest him early in the season for a variety of reasons that I detailed in this article.

WITHOUT PRACTICE

This undrafted rookie from Ball State was one of the surprises on the 53-man roster. He played 83% of the snaps in the final preseason game against the Steelers. With an NP designation and several healthy defensive backs ahead of him on the depth chart, it seems unlikely Strickland will be active against the Rams.

NOTABLE CHARACTERS NOT LISTED

There is a lot of good news here, as many key players who suffered minor injuries in pre-season look to be ready for the opener.

Gibbs suffered a hamstring injury on Aug. 12. For fantasy football purposes, I wouldn’t expect any limitations on his touches based on how the Lions have handled him in the past. In his first game back after missing two games with a hamstring injury last year, he had 11 carries for 68 yards and nine receptions for 58 yards. Go ahead and start him.

It was reported that it was a bruise and not a strain, so I don’t expect him to have any problems in his debut as a starting center back.

He’s been dealing with shoulder issues since before the first preseason game and was limited earlier in the offseason with knee and ankle issues, so it’s a good sign that he’s not on the report.

Sewell sent us all into a panic attack when he fell on the final day of training camp. Thankfully, our collective breathing returned to normal when it was revealed that it was a mild ankle sprain.

Houston was able to play in the third preseason game after missing the second, possibly because of a bone bruise. He had played the first preseason game with a right knee brace. The bone bruise is unlikely to be a major limitation going forward.

He injured his ankle after the first preseason game, but seems to be fine now.

Skipper appeared to suffer, improbably, bilateral ankle sprains on the first play of the second preseason game. Fortunately, he doesn’t have a third ankle, as he likely would have sprained that as well.

He was injured before the first preseason game and has been limited for much of camp. No concerns here for this second-year TE phenom.

Davis appears to be healthy enough to start the opener. Hopefully the preseason injury isn’t a harbinger of things to come, as he has never played more than 14 games in a regular season during his six-year career.

Last year’s injury reports had Ragnow and his toe permanently set in stone, so it’s nice to see him absent from this year’s inaugural report.

Los Angeles Rams

COMPLETE PRACTICE

The former Lion suffered a bruised shoulder blade early in camp, a rare injury that won’t prevent his hopefully unsuccessful return to Ford Field.

Nacua had bursitis in his right knee at the start of camp, which won’t limit him at all on Sunday. Arnold might want to put some more padding on his bruised pectoral.

LIMITED PRACTICE

With the other starting tackle, Alaric Jackson, already out due to suspension, the Rams could be weakened on the offensive line. The door is open for Marcus Davenport, James Houston and Josh Paschal to step up.

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Analysis of Wednesday’s Lions and Rams injury report